Free Noble Intentions: Season Two (Episodes 6-10) by L.T. Ryan

tightened.
    “Where’s Mandy?”
    They paramedics didn’t respond.
    “Where’s my little girl?” His voice rose to a yell.
    The woman’s eyes shot up from the blood pressure readout and locked onto her partner. The man opposite her cleared his throat.
    “Sir, we didn’t find a little girl with you.”
    Bear shook his head. He had to get out. He fought against his restraints. Thrashed side to side. The thin strips of fabric that restrained him were no match for his size and strength. Not to mention his focus and determination. His right arm broke free. The medics tried to hold him down. He threw the man off of him and into the side of the ambulance.
    “Sir,” the woman said. “Calm down.”
    She frantically worked the cap off of a sterile needle and plunged it into a vial of liquid.
    Bear worked the restraints, undoing each one in succession down his body.
    The man crawled to the front and opened an access door between the cab and the back.
    “Stop the ambulance and get on the radio. We need the cops.”
    Bear reached over his head and grabbed the man by his leg. Pulled him close. Then he felt a pinch in his shoulder. He looked over at the woman. She leaned over his arm. In her mouth was the plastic cap from the sterile needle. She held the needle in her hand. She plunged it to the hilt into Bear’s arm.
    The panic and rage and fear dissipated. He felt calm. He felt like he was floating. The world slowed down a beat and he sank into the gurney.
    The ambulance stopped moving. Stopped shaking. The back doors opened and a police officer stepped in. The man turned blurry as he crossed into the artificial light.
    “He’s just in shock,” the woman told the officer.
    Bear felt the woman wrap her hand around his forearm. She squeezed his arm reassuringly. He looked over at her and back at the cop. The officer’s face was now clear.
    The male paramedic climbed through the access door to sit in the cab with the driver. The cop took his spot in the back.
    “There won’t be any more trouble, will there?” the cop said to Bear.
    Bear shook his head. He tried to speak but his lips wouldn’t move. In the end he grunted a few times. Closed his eyes. He felt the ambulance shift into gear and begin moving again. He wanted to fight, to get up and break through the back door and find Mandy. But he couldn’t.
    * * *
    Bear had been alone in the hospital room for fifteen minutes. The sedative the female paramedic gave him was wearing off. He contemplated getting up and leaving, but wanted to speak with the cops first. He had to find out about Mandy. Maybe they had her and were bringing her in to see him.
    A hand poked through the open doorway and knocked against the door. A man stepped forward. He wore khaki pants and a blue sport coat. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top and he had no tie on. He appeared to be mid-forties and had gray hair mixed in with a full head of brown.
    “Mr. Logan?”
    Bear nodded and sat up.
    “I’m Detective Larsen. Hope I’m not disturbing you. We needed to get a statement from you.”
    “Where’s Mandy?”
    The detective cocked his head to the side.
    “My little girl. Where is she?”
    Larsen took three steps forward and stopped at the end of the bed.
    “Mr. Logan—”
    “Call me Bear.”
    “OK. Bear, there was a young girl, blond hair, that was abducted.”
    Bear’s mind raced. He thought back. He remembered. They carried her out. Put her in the car. Her hair blew in the wind. He closed his eyes and heard her screams once again.
    “I know this is tough, Mr., uh, Bear. We are doing everything we can and are in contact with the FBI.”
    Bear swung a large leg over the side of the bed and hopped off.
    “It won’t be enough, Detective.”
    Larsen threw his hands in the air and backed up toward the doorway.
    “You can’t do that, sir. They are evaluating you for a concussion. You need to stay in the hospital tonight.”
    The edges of Bear’s vision darkened and he felt his body sway.